Thanks for the kind words guys. I was feeling a bit challenged in the productivity area lately, and got side tracked with doing a bit of remodeling on the new house, and a couple of carpentry jobs. I've been putting out a big effort to get a variety of new items in stock, and I've just started to get on a roll. There should be more to come in the near future.
Cheers,
Seamus

Seamus,
That's a very nice interpretation of the Tahitian Resort fountain and very close to the original. I also like the other pieces you did. The tikis at the Tahitian Resort are fantastic, although kind of whimsical. For this reason, I think they further validate the points in BoT about Polynesian Pop being an imaginary version of the South Seas. Good to see them starting to earn recognition here.
KG

Thanks KG, and thanks too for the info you provided. I appreciate the feedback and the kind words.
I hope to get out to Tarpon Springs someday to see those Tikis for myself. The classic styles and icons from the golden age of Tiki was and will always be my biggest inspiration in my own work. I've never really been interested in trying to do anything specifically authentic, or in trying to develop a new modern style of Tiki. I love the old stuff, and since I don't have any access to it where I live, I do my best to replicate it and create my own reality.

I don't have any background, training, or schooling in the Arts. I just wanted some bigger Tikis in my yard. Where I live there is very little Tiki to be found, so I went with my do-it-yerself instincts and began experimenting with materials in my shop until I had something that worked. I've been at it for 6 years or so now, and I'm still experimenting with various ways to go bigger and better with more detail. Concrete is a tricky medium to work with. Once the sculpting process begins, I don't stop until it's done. It's a one shot deal, and often I'm not really sure what it's gonna look like until it's done ! As a carpenter, I've worked with wood most of my life, but since I've made concrete my primary medium, I've become a loyal fan of this incredibly versatile and durable material. Don't forget that concrete Tikis have been around since the early days of the poly-pop invasion, and most of them these days are in far better shape than their wood grained cousins- especially outdoors. Anyone with a backyard Tiki scene going on should definitely consider adding some concrete Tikis to the mix. The look, style and feel of these stonelike idols is both unique, and complimentary to the carvings most people own. Sorry if this sounds like a sales pitch. It's just that I am so fond of this all too often overlooked material when it comes to creating Tiki art, I really want people to consider all that it has to offer. Especially when you consider all of the various stains tints and finishes available today. I still work with wood. My plaque frames are handmade, and I always have a few carving projects going on the side. Someday I might even unveil some of my meager carving attempts. But for now, as unpopular as it is, concrete remains my material of choice for creating Tikis.

Seamus, I think your concrete tikis are great. Before I started carving AAC block and wood tikis, I picked up a couple of concrete tikis at this open air crafts place on Pacific Coast Hwy in Malibu. You can't beat them for durability. Mine have grown a little mossy, but that just makes them look more ancient. I would definitely like to try my hand at this one day.

Not asking for any trade secrets or anything like that, but... I've seen lots of this type of stuff made down in Baja Mexico. Is it very difficult to make a reusable mold? Just a general question - I'm wondering if this is something I could do to make some tikis for my own backyard.

A-A
_________________"Ah, good taste! What a dreadful thing! Taste is the enemy of creativeness."
-Pablo Picasso

Hi Aaron,
Thanks, I still have yet to try that AAC block. Molds are pretty easy for the smaller ones. The big ones are another story entirely. I've seen some of the stuff that comes out of Mexico, and it's pretty amazing. I have no idea how they're doing some of it. I don't- or at least haven't yet made molds of my larger sculptures(3ft+). Those are all handbuilt. Most ceramic and art supply stores carry some kind of mold making material. after trying a few I stuck with plain old liquid latex. On the bigger ones you need to build an armiture or frame that closely resembles what the final product will look like and then sculpt the concrete over that. It's kind of like doing stucco. I don't know what others use for a frame, but I use a wire mesh construction cloth. It takes hours to cut and bend and attatch all the various pieces together. It also makes for a long day when doing the actual concrete application. You can't leave it unfinished for the night and start in the next day. It's a one shot deal. I've spent more than 12 hours on one finishing up the concrete and getting all the details done and smoothed out. It's become a sort of ritual for me, and like with all things, the more you do it the faster- and hopefully better, you get at it.
_________________TikisbySeamus.com

Hey Seamus, thanks for the explanation - and the email. It sounds pretty difficult, but doable. I was thinking of carving some AAC block the way I want it, then using it to make a mold. I'll check the links you sent & see if that makes sense.

Mahalo,

Aaron
_________________"Ah, good taste! What a dreadful thing! Taste is the enemy of creativeness."
-Pablo Picasso

Yeah, you're on the right track. For items that I know I am going to be casting duplicates of I often make the original carving or sculpture out of something other than concrete. That was one of the reasons I was so interested in AAC blocks. You should try coating one of your AAC carvings w/ some kind of concrete or stucco mix and see what you get. There are some really cool acid stains available that will transform your finish in ways beyond words.

I just finished this one last night. It's my biggest one yet- just 2" under 4 feet tall.
He's still drying so there's no stain or sealer on him yet. Hand sculpted concrete. Another spitting fountain or stand alone Tiki.

Next is my newest mask mold. This one can hang ala carte, or be mounted to plaques, front of Tiki bar, what ever..

I put a semi-transparent green stain/sealer on my Tahitian inspired fountain. He is going up for sale.

I got into tiki when I was trying to find a cool looking mask for ceramic class. I really like working in clay and like the mug part of it. Its certainly hard to continue with clay when I am not taking a class in college or the teacher has their own plans for what you will make. I instanly thought concrete was the answer. Wood is good for most tikis because its their natural medium. But the Moais should be really done in stone. I'm still dream of the warm summer to start my concrete plans. I have many ideas that will carry me throught to building my project but any words of wisdom that you can send my way would be nice. Like an apprentice. If I could E-mail you a few questions.
_________________ 20+10 =30yo

Thanks Aaron and Ben. I'v been working hard at these, and feel like I've struck a vein that I need to keep following. I've been experimenting with some new techniques that will enable me to go bigger with more detail so I don't have to spend 12 straight hours slapping up the mortar!

teaKEY- feel free to Email me with questions. Maybe we can swap cement tips for ceramic tips?? I still wanna make a mug or two. I agree with your notion of Moais being done in stone. That was kind of what got me started in concrete too. My first sculptures and molds were Moais. I just kept going after that.